Advanced Millimeter-Wave and Terahertz Hardware for 6G Systems: From Devices and Characteristics to Integrated Networks

Dear Colleagues,

The impending era of 6G communication promises to unlock unprecedented data rates, ultra-low latency, and pervasive connectivity, fundamentally transforming industries and societal infrastructures. To realize this vision, the exploration of the millimeter-wave (mmWave) and Terahertz (THz) frequency bands is paramount. These spectral regions offer the vast bandwidth necessary to support terabit-per-second speeds and enable revolutionary applications such as sub-millimeter imaging, high-precision sensing, and integrated communication and sensing. However, harnessing these high-frequency bands presents profound challenges, including significant propagation losses, complex channel modeling, and the demanding task of developing efficient, compact, and cost-effective active and passive devices.

This Special Issue of Electronics, titled ‘Advanced Millimeter-Wave and Terahertz Hardware for 6G Systems: From Devices and Characteristics to Integrated Networks,’ seeks to compile cutting-edge research and comprehensive review articles that address these critical challenges. We invite contributions that span the entire technology stack, from fundamental device physics to full system integration. A key focus is on the synergistic role of advanced simulation methodologies, e.g., multi-physics and multi-scale modeling, alongside precise experimental characterization techniques for validating the performance of novel transistors, antennas, metamaterials, on-chip components, and packaging solutions. Topics of interest extend to the development of sophisticated system architectures that efficiently integrate these high-frequency devices, including innovative beamforming networks, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), and antenna-in-package (AiP) designs. We also welcome studies on novel materials, fabrication processes, and the critical interplay between device performance and 6G-specific use cases like holographic beamforming, joint communication and sensing, and ultra-massive MIMO. The goal of this Issue is to serve as a foundational resource for researchers and engineers pioneering the hardware that will form the backbone of future 6G wireless ecosystems.

Dr. Jinfeng Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.